Ecuador Sues Colombia Over Spraying

Ecuador has filed suit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague against Colombia, in an effort to stop or restrict aerial anti-coca spraying which has allegedly sickened people on the Ecuadorian side of the border and harmed livestock, farmland, and sensitive, ecologically diverse jungle areas. The suit follows last month’s diplomatic crisis between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador that subsided with little lasting damage. Ecuador is represented by Paul S. Reichler, partner at law firm Foley Hoag. “Fumigations conducted by the government of Colombia constitute a grave violation of the sovereignty of Ecuador and of the most basic principles of international law,” says Ecuadorian foreign minister Maria Isabel Salvador. Ecuador seeks an order that Colombia pay reparations to Ecuador for damage caused by the spraying. Around 4% of Colombian exports go to Ecuador, including roughly 10% of manufacturing exports. Reichler is also counsel in three other current cases before the ICJ. He represents Uruguay in a dispute with Argentina concerning the River Uruguay, which forms part of their joint border. He also represents Nicaragua in separate disputes with Colombia, over maritime borders, and with Costa Rica, over navigation rights on the San Juan River.